According to NASA, there is 鈥渦nequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate鈥. from Copernicus, the European Earth Observation program for the European Space Agency, shows that July 22, 2024, was the world鈥檚 hottest daily global average temperature since the institution鈥檚 records began in 1940 (hitting a global average of 17.16 掳C/62.76 掳F).
At a regional scale too, absolute temperature records are being broken around the globe. Just in the years 2022-2025, 41 countries broke or tied their all-time national heat records, some of them more than once. Japan saw its hottest day on record last August, reaching 41.8掳C/107.2掳F in Isesaki, in the Gunma Prefecture. Eight other countries tied or beat their heat records last year, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Paraguay. Some records were also set in Southeast Asia in 2024, when an exceptional heatwave hit the region. Cambodia set a new record at 42.8 掳C/109.0 掳F, while Laos hit a new all-time high of 43.7 掳C/110.7 掳F.
Meanwhile, Australia and Uruguay matched their national records in 2022, with 50.7 掳C/123.3 掳F in Onslow and 44.0掳C/111.2 掳F in Florida, respectively, as the United Kingdom saw the mercury break an all-time high in July 2022 as it passed the 40掳C barrier.
Previously, during the summer of 2021 - one of the hottest on Earth -, Canada, Spain and Italy recorded peak temperatures. The Italian record, 48.8 掳C/119.8 掳F at Syracuse, was reported to be the highest temperature ever measured in Europe, which was by the WMO in 2024.
In Antarctica, a new record was hit in 2020 at the Esperanza base during the austral summer when temperatures rose to over 18 掳C/64.9 掳F. One year earlier, the French national record of 46 掳C/114.8 掳F was measured at V茅rargues (H茅rault), while the 2019 heatwave also saw other records broken in Europe, such as in Belgium and Germany.
According to the , the world record is still officially attributed to Furnace Creek, in California鈥檚 Death Valley National Park, with 56.7 掳C/134 掳F reached in 1913.
